YANGON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar President U Win Myint has given a directive to local authorities to swiftly return the confiscated farmland to their original rightful owners, Myanmar News Agency reported Wednesday.
Addressing a meeting of the Central Committee for Reviewing Confiscated Farmland (CCRCF) in Nay Pyi Taw Tuesday, U Win Myint said farmers should have their farmland returned to them or given proper compensation for land that cannot be handed back.
He called on authorities to properly review confiscated land issue for the good of the nation and the public and to follow legal procedures without delay.
Noting that farmland, that farmers depend on for their livelihood, were seized beyond the scope of law after the 1988 coup, the president said these lands were in fact not used for the benefit of the country with more land being confiscated than used as intended.
He said that the government has formed the CCRCF in 2016 to develop the agricultural sector, guarantee the socio-economic status of farmers, and return the confiscated land to them.
Second Vice President U Henry Van Thio, who is Chairman of the CCRCF, said the government is working on a contract for farmers to grow the land and buy their products. By so doing, farmers will no longer need to sell their land for money but can maintain their fields for generations to come.
As of May this year, hundreds of hectares of confiscated lands in Yangon, Mandalay, Ayeyawaddy and Sagaing regions as well as in Shan and Kayin states and Nay Pyi Taw Council area were handed back to their original owners.
During the tenure of the former government, private companies and government departments were allowed to confiscate land, including farmland, in accordance with the 2012 Farmland Law under the pretext of urbanization and industrialization.
However, land dispute was brought about between the government, landowners and investors over ownership.
After taking office in April 2016, the new government voiced commitment to the speedy resolution of the farmland confiscation issue.